Corus Sets Plans for YTV, Treehouse, Discovery Kids

TORONTO: Corus Entertainment has unveiled the fall lineup for Canadian kids’ channels YTV, Treehouse and Discovery Kids, featuring shows such as The Penguins of Madagascar and live-action comedy How to be Indie.

Produced by DreamWorks Animation, The Penguins of Madagascar premieres on YTV on September 12 at 9 a.m. That’s So Weird!, produced by Halifax Film in association with YTV, kicks off on September 9 at 7:30 p.m. The half-hour live-action comedy How to be Indie, produced by Heroic Film Company with YTV, makes its debut October 2 at 6:30 p.m. Beginning September 14, Everybody Hates Chris, inspired by the childhood experiences of comedian Chris Rock, will air Monday through Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Further additions to the YTV schedule include Sorry I’ve Got No Head, 8 Simple Rules, Clang Invasion and The Garfield Show. New episodes of returning series such as SpongeBob SquarePants, iCarly, True Jackson, VP, Kid vs. Kat, League of Super Evil and Back at the Barnyard will also be featured in the lineup.

The preschool channel Treehouse will premiere 3rd & Bird on September 7. From writer Josh Selig, the photo-puppetry series will air weekdays at 6:25 a.m., Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. Timmy Time, a spin-off of the animated series Shaun the Sheep, also premieres September 7. The show can be seen Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 12:15 p.m. Waybuloo, a combination of animation and live action, debuts on September 8. The show will air Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sundays at 8 a.m. Noddy in Toyland, Caillou and Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps are also new additions to the lineup. New episodes of returning series on Treehouse this fall include Max & Ruby, Barney, Mister Maker, Ni Hao, Kai Lan and Wonder Pets.

Discovery Kids’ fall programming schedule includes returning series such as Bindi, The Jungle Girl, SciQ, Popular Mechanics for Kids, Surprise! It’s Edible! Incredible!, Aquateam, The Zula Patrol and Endurance. Programming events returning this fall on Discovery Kids include back-to-back episodes of Prank Patrol every Monday to Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the weekend Scary Saturdays and Sundays block from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., airing back-to-back episodes of Mystery Hunters, Ghost Trackers and Truth or Scare.

“Corus Kids is turning things up this fall with jam-packed schedules for YTV, Treehouse and Discovery Kids, featuring great new series and returning favorites,” said Doug Murphy, the president of Nelvana and general manager of Corus Kids. “With The Penguins of Madagascar joining the mix—the most watched series premiere ever on Nickelodeon when it launched earlier this year in the U.S., Corus Kids continues to deliver the hits that both kids and their parents have come to expect and enjoy.”